Dozens of people in Russia were found performing public displays of affection in a packed metro train to protest against the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

The couples reportedly kissed on the train as a sign of protest against the coronavirus restrictions in music concerts and restaurants after 11 pm. The protesting people were filmed kissing filmed on the Yekaterinburg Metro in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. They claimed that they did not intend to offend anyone or disrupt public services and were merely pointing out that it did not seem logical to ban people from attending music shows or visiting night clubs when the trains continued to operate packed with thousands of commuters everyday. "Musicians are speaking out against unreasonable COVID-19 restrictions because the virus is considered a higher risk at concerts and in restaurants after 11 pm than on a crowded subway during rush hour," one of the protestors was quoted as saying by a news agency.

Speaking about the struggles the live music businesses have been facing for months, another protester added, "Nobody understands why it is forbidden to hold concerts after 23:00, it is forbidden to open dance floors, nothing is forbidden – the venues are on the verge of bankruptcy. There are ten times more people in a subway car at rush hour than at any concert."